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offering buffets and fare in the style of Calabash and Murrells the US 17 Bypass near Myrtle Beach International Airport, Inlet, along with broiled, grilled and blackened variations boasts three anchor stores and more than 100 shops in addition served up by these and a growing number of new, haute to restaurants and the 16-screen Cinemark movie theater. cuisine establishments such as Divine Fish House. The area now has two Tanger Outlet Centers on the north Theaters and Shows end of Myrtle Beach and on US 501. Plus, there is , , Colonial Grand and Inlet After a day of sand and sun, the night is filled with family- Square Malls and Pawleys Island Hammock Shops. oriented venues such as The Alabama Theatre in North Myrtle Beach, which offers nightly performances of its popular “One, Even More to Do The Show,” plus concerts such as Eddie Miles’ “Salute to And as if that weren’t enough, there are all the activities that By Laura Lewis Elvis,” the Oak Ridge Boys and beach music. The Carolina Opry, don’t fit in any one category. Broadway at the Beach features in its 21st year, stages nightly shows in addition to its “Good the new MagiQuest adventure, in addition to Ripley’s Aquar- Vibrations” shows highlighting ‘60s, ‘70s and ‘80s music. ium, Dragon’s Lair Fantasy Golf, Carousel Park and IMAX® Dis- Dinner-with-entertainment is on the menu at Dolly Parton’s covery Theater. Nearby are Myrtle Waves Water Park, Dixie Stampede and Medieval Times, Inc. More shows are NASCAR® SpeedPark and Coastal Federal Field, home to to be found at The House of Blues in North Myrtle Beach, Myrtle Beach Pelicans baseball. Legends in Concert with Calvin Gilmore in Surfside Beach and Other popular activities include Alligator Adventure at the Palace Theatre at Broadway at the Beach. Barefoot Landing, Family Kingdom Amusement Park, Wild Shopping Water Fun Park in Surfside Beach, Grand Prix Family Thrill Park and plenty of miniature golf courses. For day trips, Places to shop are almost as abundant as flip-flops here. One there’s Brookgreen Gardens in Murrells Inlet. of the newest, the 1.5-million-square-foot on It’s impossible to imagine a dull moment—unless you want it—in Myrtle Beach. Every age, every person finds something fun to see, do, eat or buy in the Strand we call Grand.

Decade after decade, season after season, sun and fun go becoming part of the entertainment, says Wanda Bellamy, long- hand-in-hand in Myrtle Beach. That’s why it’s called the Grand time manager of the Visitor Center in Little River. Strand. The choices are everywhere—in accommodations, More hotels are offering indoor pools, lazy rivers and an array of cuisine, shopping and things to do. “We appeal to everyone activities to make the a year-round destination. who wants to have fun,” says Brad Dean, president and CEO For a more nostalgic experience, “arrogantly shabby” of the Myrtle Beach Area Chamber of Commerce. “The Pawleys Island offers quaint beach houses that have essence of the Grand Strand is to let your hair down, be welcomed generation after generation of families. yourself and enjoy the ocean.” Restaurants Accommodations More than 1,800 restaurants dot the 60-mile stretch Vacationers will find everything from economy inns and encompassing the Grand Strand. Their variety runs the gamut campgrounds to condos and four-diamond hotels. There are from traditional beachside hot dog, pizza and ice cream stands even RV and tent sites at Myrtle Beach and Huntington Beach to newer themed and fine-dining establishments. Bellamy State Parks. There are also the four-diamond Marriott Resort at notes that many of the newer restaurants, such as Jimmy Grande Dunes and Sheraton Myrtle Beach Convention Center Buffet’s popular Margaritaville restaurant, are themed, Hotel for a little luxury at the beach. making them another form of vacation entertainment. But More and more, the accommodations themselves are never fear; visitors will still find traditional seafood eateries

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